Philippians 4:10-19

God teaches in His Word that we must stay full to accomplish what He has set before us, and He has given us at least six areas in which He requires fullness for the Christian.

I. FULL OF THE SPIRIT!

Ephesians 5:18 – “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;”

The Bible has taught us that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit upon salvation (Ephesians 1:13-14, Ephesians 4:30).

However, the filling of the Holy Spirit depends upon yielding to the will of God (Ephesians 5:17).

The filling of the Holy Spirit is not a one-time matter but can occur many times (Acts 2:4, Acts 4:31).

All these verses make a connection between the filling of the Holy Spirit and joy, courage, spirituality, and Christian character. He also shows the link between being filled with wine and strong drink (drunkenness) and the lack of joy, courage, spirituality, or Christian character.

II. FULL OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE!

Or, we could say, full of a willingness to be filled with wisdom and knowledge. I find few better examples of willingness on the part of all than in the building of the Tabernacle in Exodus 35:35, “Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work…”

Please read the entire chapter for a greater blessing. Both men and women of skill and willingness to labor were invited to take part in making some kind of contribution.

Think of it, the very same ornaments the children of Israel used for the building of the golden calf were later used for the building of the Tabernacle, and weaving was a part of man’s labor in Egypt under Pharaoh. This proves that our skills and artistic abilities are a direct gift from God. They all worked together in perfect harmony, and each did his part in the building of the tabernacle. The women and others who were limited used the skills they were taught as captives of the Egyptians.

Even Paul said in Romans 15:14, “And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.”

One reason that God requires wisdom is because we are commanded to admonish one another and understand that there is an enemy seeking to destroy us. There is no better way to destroy the life of a Christian than to cause him to run out of fuel.

III. FULL WITH ALL THE FULLNESS OF GOD

Ephesians 3:19 – “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

God has shown His fullness in Christ and has given us the Holy Spirit so that we may comprehend and do whatever God requires. To be filled with God is a wonderful thing; to be filled with the fullness of God is even greater, but to be filled with all the fulness of God is beyond human understanding except it be through the Spirit of God. What does it mean to be filled with all the fullness of God?

  • To have all the gifts He has promised to bestow upon us.
  • To be filled with meekness, gentleness, goodness, love, holiness, justice, mercy, and truth.
  • To experience an emptying of self and sin.
  • To have no bounds to the love and mercy of God.
  • To have no limits to what God can do for those who are filled with all the fullness of God.
  • To understand that the love of Christ is beyond all human knowledge. 

Faith in Christ is not only the means of justification and sanctification, but it is also by faith that we are filled, even unto all the fulness of God (Romans 8:29-30).

IV. FULL OF THE FRUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

Philippians 1:11 – “Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.”

If righteousness is the tree and good works the fruits, then those who believe that righteousness is by works are really deceived; they believe that works are the cause – not the result – of righteousness.

I believe this means that all our works are due to the righteousness of God and that God is honored when we produce the fruits of righteousness. All that we are and all that we do is the result of the fruit of the Holy Spirit who fills us with those things that are well-pleasing to God (Galatians 5:22).

V. FULL OF JOY, LAUGHTER, AND A SONG

Psalm 126:2 – “Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.”

The children of Israel were so overjoyed to come out of their captivity in Babylon that it seemed more like a dream than reality. They were filled with joy and laughter and had a new song in their hearts (Psalm 40:3, Psalm 96:1).

The Jews stirred up the devout men and women in Jerusalem and persecuted Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13:51-52, “But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.”

To shake the dust was a gesture of a complete breaking of fellowship and rejection of responsibility for the person or persons to whom the gesture was made. A committed Jew would not think of taking a grain of dust out of a non-Jewish country into Palestine, so they would literally shake the dust before entering their homeland.

VI. FULL OF HONOR AND PRAISE

Psalm 71:8 – “Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.”

The Psalmist cries out for help, prays for deliverance, and resolves to continue praising God because he is confident that God will continue to watch over him as He has before. He was full of honor and praising God. We too must be confident of His constant care for us.

In conclusion, the worst part is that those running on empty often are not even concerned about it; therefore, we offer three warning signs of running on fumes or on empty:

  • Dullness of spirit
  • Coldness of heart
  • Lack of knowledge

Are you running on empty? Why not refill on the fullness of the Holy Spirit; the fullness of God’s wisdom; the fullness of all the fullness of God;  the fullness of joy, laughter, and a song; and the fullness of honor and praise for God on a regular basis?

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Hans Nikoley, GSBC Staff

Bro. Nikoley emigrated from Germany to the United States with his family at age 13. He served full time in the Nevada Air National Guard for six years. At age 32, He was saved, and in 1977, he graduated from Bible College. He pastored for over 31 years, 27 of them at Pomerado Road Baptist Church in Poway, California. Bro. Nikoley has served at Golden State Baptist College in the Bible Department and also as the Student Employment Director since 2007. He and his wife Mary have two children and have been married for 58 years.